Tomb Raider: Trial By Fire
by Archangel13
Summary: Lara investigates the legend behind the Fire Gem, an ancient stone with the power to destroy anything its rays touch. Along the way, she meets the happy-go-lucky historian Ethan Cambridge...
1. Prologue

Prologue.  
  
The steady drip-dripping sound of water on rock was all to be heard. Kemsiyet watched as her blood fell to the alter. The stone gave a last desperate flash of red light as it was sealed forever in the blood of a mortal. Kemsiyet looked around her, afraid she had been followed. The rest of the city was at her father's funeral. She was safe. for now.  
  
She grabbed a torch from its place on the wall and ran for the doors. The sun would set soon, and they would close her in if she did not hurry. As she neared the entrance to the shrine, she took a last glance at the stone. It had gone a dead gray color. It was under control for the time being, but Kemsiyet knew that underneath her charms, incantations, and containment spells, the stone was still alive. It still held the power to destroy all that was good. She shuddered as the thought took full hold in her heart and mind. In an ancient tongue, she commanded the great doors to seal themselves, forever encasing the Fire Gem and its deadly power. 


	2. The Very Last Book

Chapter 1: The Very Last Book  
  
The sultry blue of a computer screen bathed Ethan's face. He stared long and hard at the figures before him. Nope, not a thing was matching up.  
"Damn!" he yelled loudly. An older woman at the table next to him glowered. 'Ooops' he thought, 'Forgot I'm in a library'. A sigh escaped him. He was tired, hungry, and had nothing more for his research than he did two hours ago. He ran a hand through his light brown hair, closing the book that lay open next to his laptop. Things weren't going exactly the way he had planned.  
  
Two months ago, Ethan had received a call from an old friend, now playing the role of Archeologist. He needed some inside information on a dig site soon to be excavated, and of course. Ethan just happened to owe him a favor.  
"I should have never become a historian," he told himself. Moving to a stand, Ethan threw the book into a pile of others on the edge of the cherry wood table. With a grunt, he decided to take one more look on the shelves before calling it a night.  
  
Before long, Ethan found himself rummaging through the many books containing information on the history of Egypt. He admitted to himself how exciting a new research project could be. The maps, the books, the ancient legends and curses. it was all part of the job. His job. And he loved it. He continued to look at book after book, hoping to catch something while skimming that could lead him to his next breakthrough.  
"No. No. No!" he nearly screamed as he came upon another dead end. There were only a few shelves left, and he was getting nowhere. 'Great. Just great. This is exactly what ANY 30 year old man wants to do with his life. Rummaging through musty old books in a musty old library in musty old England. Why can't' - but his thoughts broke as he found his foot caught between the ladder rungs.  
"Shit," he grumbled, "What a day!" Ethan tried twisting and turning his foot, but to no avail. He leaned down to see if using his hands would make any difference. and found himself falling. Before he knew what happened, Ethan found himself sprawled on the floor, a lump forming at his crown.  
"Ouch," he said nonchalantly. He looked up. only to be pummeled by an entire shelf of falling books. Dust flew everywhere, books landed in every manner.  
"Ouch," he grumbled again. What a day. Picking himself up, he turned to see the head librarian scurrying his way. Uh-oh.  
"Sir," the old woman piped in a shrill British accent, "Just what is going on here?" Ethan winced at the sound of the ancient windpipes.  
"I am truly sorry, ma'am. It was an accident. I got my foot caught in one of the ladder rungs," Ethan replied calmly and apologetically. The older woman came alert at the young man's American accent. "Well I'll have you know, this library has - " but Ethan wasn't listening. Something had caught his eye. A single book. The only one left on the shelf. He looked closely at the spine, hoping to catch a glimpse of the title. When he saw, his mouth gaped open. He reached for the book, taking it carefully down from its resting place. It was very old, and quite dusty. It was bound in a simple brown leather casing that was fraying at the edges. The pages were yellowed with age. He turned the book in his hands, amazed at his find. The front of the book read, "The Legend of the Fire Gem".  
"Sir, are you listening to me?" the librarian bellowed.  
"I'm really sorry ma'am, but something just came up. Here," he said, stuffing a 100 pound note in her wrinkled hands. "I hope this covers the damages". The librarian stood blank, flustered by Ethan's actions. "I-I-I." she stammered as Ethan ran with the book to the table he was working at. He gathered his laptop and research files, bundling them all into a black leather satchel. With the book in one hand and everything else in the other, Ethan raced for the library entrance, a boyish smirk pasted to his face. 


	3. Author's Note

Author's Note  
  
Hello there! I'm kinda new to this whole fanfic thing, so go easy on me. This notice is my disclaimer. *clears throat* I do not own Tomb Raider or anything that goes along with that. eh. you get the idea. I do however own  
the following characters: Ethan Cambridge, Princess Kemsiyet, the Fire Goddess, Dr. Raymond Ives, and the undead baddies. Okay, that's all. I'll  
try to update as much as possible. Please remember to review! 


	4. Breakfast At Croft Manor

Lara awoke to the golden rays of early morning. She turned to look at the alarm clock, only to find she had another two hours.  
"Damn the sun!" she groused as she curled into a ball under her blankets. No use. Now that she was awake, there was no getting back to sleep. "Might as well hit the shower". She kicked the covers off and pulled herself out of bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and took another look at the clock. "Five in the fucking morning. There's got to be a better way". With a huff, Lara made her way to the bathroom.  
  
Hot water caressed her skin, steam loosened her tightened muscles. There was nothing like a hot shower in the morning. The scent of wild herbs wafted through the air. Lara let the shower jets hit her face, hot water erasing the fog of sleep. She felt the heat reawakening the energy in her body. Wringing the last of the conditioner from her long brown hair, Lara turned off the shower. She stepped out and grabbed a towel. Fluffing her hair, she glanced out the windows. "Still dark," she muttered to herself. As she finished drying off, she envisioned a steaming cup of coffee and one - or more - of Hillary's homemade cinnamon rolls. Lara flung the towel to the floor, promising to pick it up later. Right now, she had to get some cinnamon rolls.  
  
"I need some new clothes," Lara announced to her closet. She rummaged through her clothes, wanting something different. She came upon a pale yellow tank with a collar. "Perfect!" she exclaimed. She went to the pants and chose a pair of dark jean high-waters. Now dressed, and with her hair wrapped up in a towel, Lara left her room to find breakfast. She descended the grand staircase just as Bryce came tumbling in from his trailer outside. "Not enough sleep Bryce?" she asked with a lilt of humor. Bryce yawned and flicked her off. Lara giggled.  
"For your information Lara, I was up all night upgrading YOUR simulation systems!" Bryce grumbled. "I came in for some coffee".  
"Fancy a cinnamon roll?" Lara offered. Bryce gave her a sly smile.  
"Now that sounds like fun"!  
  
Lara watched Bryce irreverently lick cinnamon and sugar from his fingers.  
"I now see how you've managed to remain single," she remarked sarcastically. Bryce stuck his tongue out at her. "Watch it Bryce," she warned.  
  
"Good morning everyone!" came Hillary's voice from behind. "How is - " He stopped short when he saw the empty cinnamon roll platter. "Good Lord! Those were for dessert tonight!" he exclaimed.  
"Sorry Hilly. They're too great a temptation for me," Lara apologized. "And you know Bryce. No self control whatsoever". Bryce wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, in turn rubbing his hand on his baggy jeans.  
"Sorry mate. It's not my fault you make the best damn cinnamon rolls in all of England". Hillary only shook his head.  
"Next time, I'm putting them under lock and key!" he replied curtly.  
"Well gents, if you're finished arguing about cinnamon rolls, I'd like to get to work," Lara announced.  
Oh gawd!" Bryce replied in an exasperated tone. "Lara, I haven't tested the new systems yet"! Hillary hit him on the head.  
"What better way to test them than a trial run on a simulated Mount Everest?" she replied with a smirk. She got up and headed for the simulation room.  
"You're a total idiot!" Hillary barked at Bryce. "Haven't you figured out what not to say around her by now? I was hoping for a day off today"! Hillary didn't wait for an answer. He huffed and walked off. Bryce stood, he cheeks beet red.  
"Buggah!" he yelled, and ran to catch up with the others. 


	5. The Phone Call

An eerie calm settled. The air hung thickly around her. Lara moved stealthily around a sharp corner of rock. She sported two 45's and a small black rucksack. She had just climbed the forbidding faces of Everest, only to find that her goal was hidden deep within an underground cave. She took a good look at her surroundings. Sheer rock walls rose to either side, and the trickle of a small underground spring could be heard in the distance. She cocked her pistols and took a careful step forward.  
  
Everything suddenly went fuzzy. Static groused from the simulated walls as they disappeared right before her eyes.  
"Fuck!" she screamed. "Bryce, what the hell is going on'?  
"Hold the phone a sec Lara! We're having serious technical difficulties up here!" Bryce's whinny voice responded over the intercom. Lara aimed and destroyed the intercom with a shower of bullets. Bryce came running into the simulation room. "Christ Lara! You promised no more live rounds in the Sim!" he screeched.  
"And you promised you'd have this new system up and running without a hitch a damn week ago!" she replied with a growl. She threw the pistols to the ground and stormed off. Hillary met her as she emerged from the Sim. He said nothing as he handed her a towel and a bottle of water.  
  
Lara marched to the study. She needed Tchaikowsky and his piano. She flopped into the plush antique chair that stood regally alongside its mate, a mahogany desk - circa 1800. She clapped her hands and Tchaikowsky's piano concerto seeped from the woodwork. It flowed through the air, erasing negative energy - and soothing Lara's tightened muscles. For a moment, she relaxed, breathing deeply. She remembered Sunday afternoons with her father in this very room, listening to the very same music. He would hold her in his lap as he relaxed to its sounds, the sun coming in softly from the grand paladian windows behind them.  
  
Lara's daydream was interrupted by the shrill call of the telephone. She grabbed it, cursing under her breath. "Hello"?  
"Lady Lara Croft?" the voice on the other end asked in excitement.  
"That would be me," she replied.  
"My god. I can't believe I'm actually talking to you!" the voice exclaimed. 'Another obsessed fan' Lara thought. She was about to hang up. "Please don't hang up! I'm sorry, it's just that I've been a huge fan of your work since your first adventure in Peru". Lara raised a brow. Hardly anyone followed her work that closely. "My name is Ethan Cambridge, and I have a proposition for you".  
"I'm listening," Lara replied at length.  
"Not here, not now. Have dinner with me".  
"Mr. Cambridge, I'm not one to accept a dinner invitation from a total stranger," Lara replied with mild irritation.  
"I figured. That's why I've already made reservations for us," Ethan replied cheerfully. "Maxwell's, 7:30. I'll be waiting". With that, he hung up.  
  
Lara let the phone drop to the cradle. He had just told her what to do. No one told Lara Croft what to do. "And that's why I'm going to take Mr. Cambridge up on his little offer," she said to herself. 


End file.
